Six Games That Define Longhorn History: 1969 Arkansas

On a cold afternoon on December 6th, 1969 in Fayetteville, Arkansas, the University of Arkansas took the field against the University of Texas. This was no ordinary Southwest Conference game… this was “The Game of the Century” which pitted #1 vs. #2. The matchup was so grandiose, in fact, that President Richard Nixon flew into Fayetteville to witness the game first-hand.

What was at stake?

This was the final game of the regular season and was being broadcast on ABC.  Because this was the final game, it commanded the attention of the entire nation. Most seasons would see the Longhorns ending the regular season with rival Texas A&M, but ABC decided to move the Texas-Arkansas game to the end of the season because both storied programs were playing at an all time high.

The game would also decide the 1969 National Championship and Richard Nixon would present the winning team with a plaque and declare them national champions. The ratings for the game got a 52.1 share, the most for any college football at that time and one of the top rated college football games of all time.

The Game

The game began and ended as a defensive struggle.  Texas started the game off with a quick turnover which lead to an Arkansas touchdown early in the first quarter. Turnovers were the story of the entire game, with Texas commiting 6 total turnovers and the Razorbacks only commiting 2.  The Texas defense played an amazing game, holding the potent Arkansas offense to only 308 yards of total offense and 2.3 rushing yards per play. As powerful as the defensive unit was it wasn’t making much of a dent on the scoreboard as the Longhorns trailed Arkansas 14-0 heading into the 4th quarter.

As the 4th quarter began, University of Texas quarterback James Street dropped back to pass but saw no one open and while under pressure, scrambled out of the pocket and broke a couple of tackles on his way to the endzone. Texas decided to go for a two point conversion and ran a triple option fake to the fullback which saw Street running left and into the endzone for the two point conversion.

Texas lead 14-8

After a few subsequent drives that didn’t produce any points, Texas was left with a 4th down.

The play all Longhorns remember.

Click to 2:32

A play that not only took a pair of balls bigger than you can imagine with the game and the season on the line… To call that play and for it to work was nothing short of destiny. Texas was supposed to win that game and they did in dramatic fashion.

What this meant for the Longhorns historically:

This was the second national championship for the the Longhorns and the win was a huge one for Darrell Royal and the program. After having very good teams in 1964 and 1968 that didn’t win a national title, this win gave Coach Royal his second national championship and cemented his legacy in Texas Football. For Arkansas, they didn’t climb back to an elite level since that game and head coach Frank Broyles won the Southwest Conference only one more time before retiring and becoming the Athletic Director at the University of Arkansas. The Razorbacks would ultimately end up moving to the Southeastern Conference in 1992 and the Texas-Arkansas rivalry would never be as significant as the 1969 game was between the two schools.  From time to time, both programs play one another and the hatred between the two still exists.

Here are the other “Games in Longhorn History” articles by @40acresfootball:

 

• 1964 Navy

   

• 2004 Michigan

 

• 1996 Nebraska

 

• 2011 Texas A&M

 

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